Ukiah police chief urges hiring of more officers

Twice this month, Ukiah Police Chief Chris Dewey has gone before the Ukiah City Council to discuss the daily struggles his department has with the city's homeless and transient population.

"The level of violence in our community seems to be increasing -- we've had some very disturbing events," Dewey told the council Wednesday. "More than ever there's a need for additional police officers, and we are searching everywhere we can for the money to fund them."

"We are planning to bring this forward in a council workshop as soon as we can schedule it in April," said City Manager Jane Chambers. "There are continual events out there in the community that we need to respond to.

"We both share a real sense of urgency -- the trend is just not abating and we're concerned," Chambers continued. "If you like the ideas (we present) and are supportive of them, we could go ahead and begin to put some of them in place."

Dewey said he hoped that an additional police officer could be paid for through the city's General Fund, but that alternative funds might be used to provide a code-enforcement officer.

"I want to keep those things separate," he said.

"I'm happy you're being responsive to what you and the council have recognized as a problem in the community," said Council member Mary Anne Landis. "I appreciate your can-do approach.'"

"It will be great to hear what you have in mind," said Vice-Mayor Phil Baldwin, adding that he was still "one vote for using the General Fund if necessary."

"I admire and treasure your work," said Council member Benj Thomas, adding that he wanted Dewey and his officers to know he appreciated "just how enormously difficult it is for you guys to deal with the suffering you see and the insane cruelty you're exposed to."

"We thought that it would be best if you had an opportunity in a workshop setting to discuss this," said Chambers, adding that she hoped to schedule one next month.

At the March 6 council meeting, Dewey told the council that his officers have a "violent encounter" with a transient at least once a day, and the homeless population "has continued to impact the department routinely, and we arrest three to four people a day."

Rather than just react when crimes occur, Dewey said next month his department will launch a campaign to educate the community, particularly business owners, on how to help his department reduce the problems created by people living on the street, which include "being drunk in public, urinating and defecating in public, sleeping on (others') property," and other activities that affect residents.

"Our goal is to have the detectives visiting businesses and educating owners and store clerks on what they can do to help us, so panhandling and loitering isn't so much of a problem," he said, adding that his department worked to create posters dissuading others from giving people handouts directly, and to create a pamphlet detailing the different resources available to people in need of help.

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.